So you’ve been looking for some journaling prompts, People Pleaser? As a journaling and poetry therapist, it’s my job to curate writing exercises to help those I work with find the root cause of their issues. You may not be my client (right now), but you’ll get to reap the benefits of you peers that have gone before you.
First Prompt: People Pleasing Helps Me…
One of the first prompts I like to offer called a Sentence Stem. This journal prompt give you a kick start to your journaling by giving you the first half of a sentence for you to finish. Where you go from there is up to you. But this journal prompt is a wonderful balance between structure vs freedom to create. Set a timer for 5 minutes and start with the Sentence Stem: My People Pleasing Helps Me-. Let yourself write freely and discover what it is that you are finding. You’ll certainly find a lot of unhelpful things, but I bet with a little patience and reflection you might find what it helps you avoid.
People Pleaser Prompt #2: Mind Map
Mind Mapping is often thought of as a method of production for the corporate machine. BUT there is a sect of creatives such as myself that know how to adapt Mind Mapping for creative means. Rather then putting a project, brand idea, or vision in the center, for this exercise I’m going to suggest you put the term “people pleasing” in the center. If you want to challenge yourself even further, write *your name*’s needs in the center. Regardless of what you pick, you’ll take 5 minutes to branch off of that center idea with whatever comes to mind. Literally anything that comes to mind. After a few moments, branch off of those secondary ideas. Then branch of the tertiary terms. And on. and on. Until the time ends. You can set a 10 minute time if you’d like, because this activity can go on for a while.
Final Journaling Prompt: Build a Space
Journaling prompts for People Pleasers ends with “Build a Space”. The idea is that you will simply describe an environment that is just for you. It could be any space, real or imaginary. The key importance to this is to describe in the greatest detail possible. Start with a single object: a plant, the sun, your journal, a pillow, whatever might be there. Describe it in the greatest detail possible. From there, work your way outward until you start to describe your whole environment. Give yourself some time to build the amazing environment you long for, 7-10 minute timer.
Find a Space, my People Pleaser
If there is one thing I’ve learned about people pleasers, it’s that they ignore their own needs around other people. That’s why journaling is a wonderful space, it’s a container that helps you sort through your internal and external worlds. It’s something that you wish you could get with other people. Good news: I offer a space for people pleasers to learn how to claim their own. It involves journaling, therapy, and nature, and a lot of outside support. If you’re interested in joining my practice and live in Colorado or New Jersey, you can schedule a consult here.
If you want to learn from me in other ways, head over to my IFS Journaling Guide, download some more prompts, and join my email list. I put things out into the world to help creative insight and soulful stargazing.